ᐅ Controlled Residential Ventilation – What Should You Consider When Choosing One?

junge_familie schrieb:
Yes, of course. What I meant was: Hopefully, the airflow of the Proxon is significantly higher than that of typical mechanical ventilation with heat recovery!?

Yes, naturally, otherwise the system wouldn’t have any effect at all.

Ghostwriter schrieb:
I was at a neighbor’s house last weekend without a ventilation system. Simply put: I’m glad to have one

Well, that’s what I always say to new homeowners or experience firsthand with friends and family. But every other person beats their chest angrily, insisting the “air you can cut with a knife” inside the house is normal.

Bieber0815 schrieb:
Mechanical ventilation systems have been around for decades (especially in commercial and office buildings). They have become more common in single-family homes since the introduction of passive houses (over 10 years ago?).

That may be true, but it doesn’t change the fact that CO2 and other gas levels are automatically maintained within a favorable range over the long term with mechanical ventilation.

Has anyone ever inspected the ductwork from the inside after more than 10 years (considering you wouldn’t typically want to remove your pipes after 10 years)? I’ve heard of various poor and very poor results in this regard but can’t assess whether something was neglected in those cases, so I want to be cautious in my evaluation. However, these examples discourage me until I also hear about positive outcomes. So far, I only know positive results from theoretical considerations and assumptions.

My brother has had his system for 12 years, and everything inside the ducts is fine. The system has always been operated exclusively with exhaust filters on the ceiling exhaust vents. Often, such systems are operated without exhaust filters, and in that case, it is normal for the ducts to become dirty.

-bigu- schrieb:
…I have heard of various poor and very poor outcomes in this regard, but I cannot assess whether something was missed in these cases, so I want to be cautious with my judgment. However, these examples discourage me unless I also hear about positive results.….

What are the sources of these hearsay reports?

What about your wastewater drainage, for example in the bathroom? Or the kitchen? Does that concern you or not? No? Why not? What about the household waste that stays in the kitchen for several days? The toilet? Have you ever considered Legionella?

Do you have any water tanks anywhere, for example in a coffee machine or water filter? Entrance area: dirt from outside. Fake money... What about the potting soil of your plants?

I’ll leave electromagnetic pollution aside... positive results probably only exist if you actually eat the food you warmed up in the microwave while it is still warm.

So, what exactly can be simply drawn from outside air? Exhaust gases from your running engine? Or just the smell of horse manure nearby (one reason people move out to rural areas), which can really be annoying... [emoji6] I’m not trying to defend controlled ventilation systems, but I do want to raise awareness on the topic of civilization.

@ ypg

Wow! So much can be discussed under the topic of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery... Even though some details are still missing

Hey, relax Everything is great on my end. And excellent air quality without long ducts

@ everyone interested in factual information: Contaminated ventilation ducts definitely exist. One of my contacts occasionally works professionally on replacing or dismantling ventilation ducts. I almost bought a property once with an existing central ventilation system...

This in no way (!) means that all ducts are contaminated or dirty. Good filters achieve a lot. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the private sector, especially regarding filtration. Healthy skepticism should always accompany any installation beforehand, weighing the pros and cons. There are different ventilation concepts, and every family should choose the one that best suits them and the property.

I have also decided to install a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery in my house, which is still under construction.
Can anyone with experience share insights on the following question:

Usually, the supply air is in the bedroom, and the exhaust air is in the adjacent bathroom.
The bedroom tends to be around 18°C (64°F), while the bathroom is about 23°C (73°F) --> Is this even possible, or does the bedroom cool down the bathroom or heat it up? Can rooms have such temperature differences at all?

When standing wet and naked in the bathroom: is there a noticeable draft?
I have also read that some people have installed a damper that temporarily blocks the exhaust air in the bathroom.